9I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.
That's the end of that. Barring repentance, not even much-anticipated books will be reviewed on this blog. Through long, hard experience and the quidance of wise brothers and sisters, I have come to see that even associating at the level of blog reading and commenting is unwise for it gives the impression that the idolaters and revilers are not wicked brethren to be removed from our midst. These are removed from our midst for both our benefit and theirs. It removes the poison from among us, benefiting us. And it gives notice to the wicked that they are indeed wicked and fall outside the fellowship.
Think about it, give serious consideration to removing this sort of internet "fellowship" from your search history, cookies and bookmarks. Be done with it. And leave the wicked to their own devices This is for the benefit of both of you. To borrow popular phrasing, don't be co-dependent with a reviler.
4 comments:
We have had to do a similar thing to someone in our personal lives before. It is a difficult thing, but the truth is that someone who professes Christ does not need to learn of Christ's salvation. They know it. They need to repent. If they have been approached multiple times, given grace and will not turn even in the face of being brought before the Church, the proper course is to have nothing to do with them.
Well, this has come up as an issue on another Rachel Held Evans' blog, of all places and I should be up front and honest about things:
I am weak and remarkably undisciplined. Though some friends have counseled me to disengage from some such as Rachel, Others have urged me to continue because of my unique experience with religious feminism.
That, combined with my frustration at the lack of substantive debunking and rebuke of Rachel's continued trashing of conservative or orthodox Christianity have compelled me to remain engaged.
But yes, in response to Rachel's commenter, it is Rachel who prevents me from commenting on her blog. I can send you the screenshot if you want proof.
Honestly, I wouldn't engage. You are giving them an audience. Any orthodox Christian of any stripe who engages unrepentant heterodox Christians are putting themselves in occasion to sin, as well as giving an audience to the heretics. They are wrong. They have been confronted and they refuse to be taught or corrected. We should, therefore, not even share a meal with them.
Ranee,
I think about that. A lot.
What I genuinely doubt, though, is if some of the respondents have ever *been* taught. They are so far off course in such weird ways, I have to wonder.
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